Method for filling and washing a filter for a dialysis machine

ABSTRACT

A dialysis machine ( 1 ) is provided with a dialysate circuit ( 3 ), a blood circuit ( 2 ) and a filter ( 4 ) having a dialysate compartment ( 6 ) connected to the dialysate circuit ( 3 ), a blood compartment ( 5 ) connected to the blood circuit ( 2 ), and a semi-permeable membrane ( 7 ) to separate the dialysate compartment ( 6 ) from the blood compartment ( 5 ). A method for filling and washing the filter comprises the recirculation of a physiological saline in the dialysate circuit ( 3 ) and the transfer of the physiological saline from the dialysate circuit ( 3 ) to the blood circuit ( 2 ) through the semi-permeable membrane ( 7 ).

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for filling and washing a filter for a dialysis machine.

[0002] A dialysis machine of the known type generally comprises a blood circulation circuit, a dialysate circulation circuit and a filter, which is provided with a dialysate compartment, a blood compartment and a semi-permeable membrane to separate the dialysate compartment from the blood compartment. The dialysate compartment is connected to the dialysate circuit, while the blood compartment is connected to the blood circuit, in such a way that the blood to be treated and the dialysate, generally flowing in opposite directions, pass through the blood compartment and the dialysate compartment respectively during the dialysis treatment.

[0003] During the dialysis treatment, unwanted particles contained in the blood migrate from the blood compartment to the dialysate compartment through the semi-permeable membrane both by diffusion and by convection, as a result of the passage of some of the liquid contained in the blood towards the dialysate compartment. Thus the patient will have lost some weight by the end of the dialysis treatment.

[0004] In operation, the blood circuit is connected to the patient's cardiovascular system to collect the blood to be treated and return the treated blood to the patient, and comprises a venous branch and an arterial branch, which is partially wrapped around a lobed rotor to form a peristaltic blood circulation pump.

[0005] Before the dialysis treatment is started, the filter must be filled by an operation generally called “priming”, and the filter must then be washed in order to eliminate air bubbles, which may be formed in the initial stage of circulating a liquid through the filter, and preservatives which are used to sterilize the filter and the blood circuit. According to the known methods of filter washing, the blood circuit is made into a closed loop, a bag of physiological saline is connected to a branch of the blood circuit, and the physiological saline is recirculated in the blood circuit.

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a method of filling-and-washing the filter of a dialysis machine which is simple, economical and requires minimum intervention by the operator.

[0007] According to the present invention, a method of filling and washing the filter of a dialysis machine is provided, the machine comprising a dialysate circuit, a blood circuit and a filter comprising a dialysate compartment connected to the dialysate circuit, a blood compartment connected to the blood circuit, and a semi-permeable membrane to separate the dialysate compartment from the blood compartment; the method comprising the recirculation of a physiological saline in the said dialysate circuit in such a way that the dialysate compartment is filled and washed with the said physiological saline; the method being characterized in that some of the said physiological saline is transferred from the dialysate compartment to the blood compartment through the said semi-permeable membrane.

[0008] By transferring the physiological saline through the semi-permeable membrane, it is possible to dispense with the bag of physiological saline, which is normally used for filling and washing the blood compartment of the filter. The filling and washing of the blood compartment of the filter are simplified because they do not require special components such as the bag of physiological saline. Consequently the operator's workload is also reduced. Furthermore, the transfer of some of the physiological saline through the membrane makes it possible to carry out a particularly thorough wash.

[0009] The physiological saline is transferred from the dialysate compartment to the blood compartment as a result of a pressure difference between the dialysate compartment and the blood compartment, so that some of the physiological saline is transferred from the dialysate compartment to the blood compartment through the semi-permeable membrane.

[0010] To enable the present invention to be understood more clearly, a preferred embodiment will now be described, purely by way of example and without restrictive intent, with reference to the attached FIGURE, which is a schematic view of a dialysis machine, with parts removed for clarity.

[0011] In the attached FIGURE, the number 1 indicates the whole of a dialysis machine, which comprises a blood circuit 2, a dialysate circuit 3 and a filter 4, which is provided with a blood compartment 5 and a dialysate compartment 6 separated by a semi-permeable membrane 7, an arterial branch 8 connected to the compartment 5, a venous branch 9 connected to the compartment 5, a dropper 10 located in the venous branch 9 and a dropper 11 located in the arterial branch.

[0012] The branches 8 and 9 have at their ends connectors 12 and 13 respectively, which can be connected by a connection device (not illustrated) to a patient, and which, in the attached FIGURE, are connected to each other. The venous branch 9 can be connected, by the connector 13, to a branch 14, in which a valve 15 is fitted. In the attached FIGURE, one portion of the venous branch 9 is shown in broken lines in the configuration in which it is connected to the branch 14.

[0013] The venous branch 9 is wrapped around a rotor of a peristaltic pump 16 up-line from the dropper 10, which is provided with a vent tube 17.

[0014] The circuit 3 comprises a branch 18 connected to the compartment 6 to supply the dialysate to the filter 4, and a branch 19 connected to the compartment to remove the dialysate and the impurities transferred through the membrane 7 by the filter 4. Along the branch 18 there are located a pump 20 providing a flow rate Q_(di) of dialysate to the inlet of the filter 4, and a pressure sensor 21 located between the pump 20 and the filter 4, and along the branch 19 there are located a pump 22 providing a rate of flow Q_(do) of dialysate from the outlet of the filter 4, and a pressure sensor 23 located between the filter 4 and the pump 22. The branch 18 is connected to a device 24, which supplies the dialysate as a solution of salts in purified water according to methods known in the field of dialysis treatment.

[0015] The machine 1 comprises a control unit 25, which is connected to the pumps 16, 20 and 22, to the sensors 21 and 23 and to the device 24, and, in practice, is capable of controlling the operation of the machine 1 during the dialysis treatment and the operations of washing the filter 4.

[0016] With specific reference to the filling and washing of the filter 4, the attached FIGURE shows the circuit 2 in a loop configuration, in other words with the connectors 12 and 13 connected to each other. In this configuration, the circuit 2 and the filter are empty; in other words, they contain air at atmospheric pressure. The control unit 25 is designed to wash the filter 4 in a filling and washing cycle, which comprises the steps of operating the pumps 20 and 22 to fill the compartment 6 with dialysate, in other words with a physiological saline supplied by the device 24. In this step the pumps 20 and 22 are operated in such a way as to produce a pressure P1 in the compartment 6 of the filter 4. When the compartment 6 has been filled, the pumps 20 and 22 are operated in such a way as to produce a pressure P2 in the compartment 6. The pumps 20 and 22 are of the positive displacement type, and therefore the pressure in the portion lying between the two pumps 20 and 22, and consequently in the compartment 6, can be varied by operating the two pumps 20 and 22. The pumps 20 and 22 are regulated by the control unit 25, which processes the pressure signals received by the sensors 21 and 23 and has a knowledge of the atmospheric pressure, and can produce, by means of the pumps 20 and 22, a pressure difference between the compartment 6 and the compartment 5 such that the physiological saline is transferred from the compartment 6 to the compartment 5. Some of the dialysate contained in the compartment 6 at the pressure P2 passes through the semi-permeable membrane 7 and progressively fills the compartment 5 of the filter 4 and the circuit 2. The membrane 7 has the characteristic of being semi-permeable and of allowing the liquid to flow when there is a pressure difference between the compartment 6 and the compartment 5. The flow of liquid through the membrane 7 increases as the pressure difference between the compartment 6 and the compartment 5 increases. The pressure in the compartment 5 is equal to atmospheric pressure, since the blood circuit 2 is connected to the exterior through the vent tube 17. During the filling of the circuit 2, the peristaltic pump 16 is operated to circulate the physiological saline in the circuit 2 which is in a closed loop configuration, while the air contained in the circuit 2 is progressively discharged through the vent tube 17. The physiological saline is circulated through the circuit 2 for a specified period, in order to eliminate the air bubbles and the preservative substances used to sterilize the filter 4, in other words in order to wash the filter 4. On completion of the washing, the circuit 2 is opened and the connector 12 is connected to the patient, while the connector 13 (shown in broken lines in the attached FIGURE) is connected to the branch 14. The dialysis treatment is then started, according to the characteristic procedures and operating parameters for the patient. In the initial stage of the dialysis treatment, the valve 15 is open so that the physiological saline used for washing the filter 4 is discharged through the branch 14, while in the circuit 2 the patient's blood progressively replaces the physiological saline. When the blood reaches the branch 14, the valve 15 is closed and the connector is connected to the patient. In the meantime, the device 24 supplies the dialysate to the circuit 3 in a solution whose concentration is determined by the control unit 25. 

1. Method of filling and washing a filter (4) of a dialysis machine (1), the machine comprising a dialysate circuit (3), a blood circuit (2) and a filter (4) comprising a dialysate compartment (6) connected to the dialysate circuit (3), a blood compartment (5) connected to the blood circuit (2), and a semi-permeable membrane (7) to separate the dialysate compartment (6) from the blood compartment (5); the method comprising the recirculation of a physiological saline in the said dialysate circuit (6) in such a way that the dialysate compartment (6) is filled and washed with the said physiological saline; the method being characterized in that some of the said physiological saline is transferred from the dialysate compartment (6) to the blood compartment (5) through the said semi-permeable membrane (7).
 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that a pressure difference is generated between the dialysate compartment (6) and the blood compartment (5) in such a way that some of the physiological saline is transferred from the dialysate compartment (6) to the blood compartment (5) through the said membrane (7).
 3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the said physiological saline is circulated in the said dialysate circuit (3) at a first pressure (P1) and at a second pressure (P2) which is greater than the first pressure (P1) to transfer the said physiological saline from the dialysate compartment (6) to the blood compartment (5) through the said semi-permeable membrane (7).
 4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that the said second pressure (P2) is greater than atmospheric pressure.
 5. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that the said blood compartment (5) and the said blood circuit (2) are in communication with the external environment.
 6. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the said blood circuit (2) is closed to form a loop, the method comprising the filling of the blood circuit (2) with the said physiological saline which is transferred through the said membrane (7).
 7. Method according to claim 6, characterized in that the air contained in the blood circuit (2) is discharged through a vent tube (17) located in the said blood circuit (2).
 8. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that the said blood circuit (2) comprises a dropper (10), the said vent tube (17) being connected to the said dropper (10).
 9. Method according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the physiological saline is recirculated in the blood circuit (2), which is in a closed loop configuration, by means of a peristaltic pump (16).
 10. Method according to claim 9, characterized in that the blood circuit (2) is connected to a patient, the blood circuit (2) is supplied with blood in such a way that the blood replaces the physiological saline, and the physiological saline is discharged through a branch (14) which can be connected to the said blood circuit (2).
 11. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the said dialysate circuit (3) is supplied by means of a device (24) for forming the physiological saline from salts and purified water.
 12. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that the said device (24) supplies the said dialysate during the dialysis treatment.
 13. A dialysis machine for carrying out the method according to anyone of the preceeding claims. 